New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid, a 1986-batch IPS officer, has raised alarm over Delhi’s deteriorating air quality, describing his recent 15-day visit to the national capital as a health nightmare.
In a post on social media platform X, Vaid compared breathing Delhi’s air to “inhaling a thousand cigarettes”, saying that both he and his family suffered from severe throat pain, running noses, and a burning sensation after their stay.
My family and I returned to Jammu today after spending 15 days in New Delhi and we are all in bad shape. Severe throat pain, running noses, and a constant burning sensation as if we’ve inhaled a thousand cigarettes. If this is what short-term visitors experience, imagine the…
— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) November 9, 2025
‘Inhaling a Thousand Cigarettes’: Officer’s Stark Comparison
Returning to Jammu after the trip, the former top cop wrote:
“My family and I returned to Jammu today after spending 15 days in New Delhi and we are all in bad shape. Severe throat pain, running noses, and a constant burning sensation as if we’ve inhaled a thousand cigarettes.”
Vaid said that if short-term visitors were struggling to cope, the situation must be unbearable for Delhi’s children, elderly, and those with lung diseases.
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‘Where Is the Accountability?’ — Vaid Questions Authorities
In his post, Vaid urged the Supreme Court, the Union Government, and the Delhi Government to take immediate and coordinated action, calling the pollution situation a “humanitarian crisis.”
“If this humanitarian crisis does not jolt the Supreme Court, the Union Government, and the Delhi Government into immediate action, then what will? Where is the accountability? How long will Delhi be allowed to exist as a gas chamber?” he wrote.
The retired IPS officer’s remarks echo growing public outrage over the capital’s persistent smog crisis, which resurfaces each winter despite repeated court interventions and government action plans.
Delhi’s Air Quality Dips to ‘Severe’
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 391 at 7 am on Sunday, placing it in the ‘severe’ category.
The city’s air has remained consistently ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ since Diwali, with visibility dropping and pollution levels spiking due to crop residue burning, vehicular emissions, and unfavourable weather conditions trapping pollutants near the ground.
A Recurring Crisis
Despite the implementation of measures such as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), construction bans, and odd-even schemes, pollution levels have shown little sustained improvement.
Public health experts warn that prolonged exposure to Delhi’s toxic air can lead to chronic respiratory diseases, heart complications, and premature deaths, making it one of the world’s most polluted capitals year after year.
Vaid’s Post Resonates with Citizens
Vaid’s post struck a chord with many users online, who echoed similar experiences of breathing discomfort and eye irritation in the capital.
Several users tagged policymakers, urging faster implementation of long-term pollution control measures rather than short-lived bans and advisories.
